Envelop.



Patented Mar. 27, |900. T. W.T. MAXWELL.

E N V E L 0 P.

(Application led Dec. 2B, 1899.)

(No Model.)

ma Nonms PETERS co. PHu'm-Ln-Ho., wnsnmnmn, n. n

,NITED STATES PATENT Prion.

THEOBLD W. T. MAXWELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., VASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, ANDRICHARD R. VERNON, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY.

ENVELOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,186, dated IVI-arch27, 1900. Application filed December 29, 1899. Serial No. 741,890. (Nomodel.)

.T0 60% wir/0m, it Hetty concern:

Be it known that I, THEOBALD W. T. MAX WELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Envelops, of which the following is a specification.

Devices have heretofore been provided for repeatedly sealing the sameenvelop; but these have usually been wasteful of material, lacking instrength, and not economical of space, as the sealing device requiredthe envelop to be much longer than the capacity provided for contents;and the object of my invention is to overcome these objections.

. In carrying out my invention the iap of the envelop at its greatestwidth/is made with a prolongation or tongue in which is made a slotrunning transversely of the iiap, and the back of the envelop is madewith two or more slots parallel with the slot in the flap, which severalslots are in line with one another, and I provide a narrow strip ofpaper or similar suitable material and pass the same through the slotsof the envelop and lap the ends and connect the same by adhesivematerial to seal the envelop. This narrow strip is readily broken tounseal the envelop, and a new strip is as readily applied in resealingthe same. These envelops are especially suitable for railroads, banks,bankers, and lawyers forholding and securing valuable papers of variouskinds.

In the drawings, Figure lis an elevation of the back of the envelop,illustrating the simpler form of my improvement. similar elevation, butshowing the sealingstrip in place; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionat :n a: of Fig. 2, in larger size, showing the sealed condition of theenvelop. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the back of the envelop, showing amodification. Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 4 with the sealing-stripin place;

and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section at 'y y of' Fig. 5, showing, inlarger size, the manner of sealing the envelop of modified form.

The envelop, Figs. l, 2, and 3, is of usual form and of heavy materialsuitable for continuous use, and the flap a is made with a prolongationor tongue a at its widest part, and the said tongue is made with a slot2, running Fig. 2.is a` lengthwise of the tongue and transversely of theflap of the envelop. In the back b of the envelop there are two slots 3and 4. These are made through the material ofthe back only, and they areparallel with each other and in line lengthwise of the envelop with theslot 2 in the tongue a.

I employ a narrow strip c of paper or similar suitable material, and insealing the envelop, Figs. l and 2, the said strip is passed through theslots 3 and 4 within the envelop, and the end projecting from the slot 4is passed Y over part of the flap a', through the slot 2,

and under the other part of the flap o.- toward the slot 3, and the freeend. projecting from the slot 3 is carried over the other end of thestrip c and over the flap a toward the slot 4, and the under surface ofthis end is fastened down upon the strip c by adhesive material from theedge 5 to the left of Fig. 3 for a suficient distance to insure theproper connec tion of the parts of the strip in sealing the envelop.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4, 5, and

'6 the iiap a and the tongue a' and the slot 2 correspond with those inFigs. 1, 2, and 3; but in the back b of the envelop in additition to theslots 3 4 other slots 6 7 are made that are adjacent to the slots 3 4and parallel therewith, so that the slots 3 6 and 4 7 form pairs uponopposite sides of the tongue a', all of the said slots being parallelwith each other and in line lengthwise of the envelop. In thismodification the narrow sealing-strip of paper or similar material cpasses through the slots 3 4 and over the outer surface of the envelopbetween said slots and beneath the back b of the envelop between theslots 3 6 and 4 7 and out at the slots 6 7, and the free end of thestrip projecting from the slot 7 is passed over the flap a and throughthe slot 2 and beneath the left side of the flap d toward the slot 3,and the free end of the strip extending out of the slot 6 is passed overthe other end of the strip towardl the slot 7 and is secured down uponthe same by adhesive material at and back of the line 8, Fig. 6. In thisway the envelop is effectually sealed and remains sealed so long as thestrip is not tampered with.A To unseal the envelop and remove thecontents, this narrow strip of paper or similar IOO material is brokenand the broken parts removed by pulling the parts away from the variousslots, and when the envelop is to be again sealed to secure othercontents new strips are inserted in place through the slots and theenvelop sealed, as before described. In this form of seal the envelopdoes not require to be longer than necessary for the contents, and thesame may be sealed repeatedly without destroying the envelop, and thesealing is effected readily after articles to be sealed have been placedin the envelop.

I claim as my invention-` l. An envelop having a flap provided with aprolongation or tongue at its widest part with a slot in said tongue andparallel slots in the back of the envelop in line therewith, incombination with a sealing-strip of narrow' paper or other suitablematerial adapted to be passed through the said slots with the endslapping and connected by adhesive material, substantially as set forth.

2. An envelop having a flap provided with a prolongation or tongue atits widest part with a slot in the said tongue transversely of the Hap,and with slots in the back of the envelop parallel with the slot in theflap and in line with eachother, in combination with a sealing-strip ofnarrow paper or othersuitable material adapted to be passed through thesaid slots with the ends lapping and connected by adhesive material,substantially as specified.

eliegie 3. An envelop having a flap provided with a prolongation ortongue at its widest part, with a slot in the said tongue transverselyof the iiap and with slots in the back of the en# velop parallel withthe slot in the flap in line therewith and in pairs at either side ofthe slot in the fiap, in combination with a sealingstrip of narrow paperor other suitable material adapted to be passed through the pairs ofslots and outside of the envelop and between the same with one end ofthe strip passed through the slot in the fiap and with the ends lappedand connected by adhesive material, substantially as specified.

4. An envelop having a Hap provided with I a prolongation or tongue atits widest part with a slot in the said tongue transversely of the iiap,and slots in the back of the envelop parallel with the slot in the flapand in line with each other and at each side of the slot in the Hap, incombination witha sealing-strip of narrow paper or other suitablematerial adapted to be passed through the said slots in the back and oneend through the slot in the flap with the free ends lapping andconnected by adhesive material, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

Signed by me this 27th day of December, 1899.

TI-IEOBALD XV. T. MAXWELL. Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, S. T. HAVILAND.

